Why ‘The Crown’ Star Matt Smith Feels ‘Sorry’ For Meghan Markle

Matt Smith isn’t marrying into the royal family, but he has played someone who did. The actor portrays Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, on Netflix’s “The Crown,” and Smith seems to feel some sympathy for Meghan Markle.

Markle, of course, is engaged to Prince Harry. While promoting his historical drama during a Q&A session at the 92nd Street Y in New York, Smith was asked about the engagement.

“I feel sorry for her,” he said (via Vanity Fair). “It’s such a transition in her life, and it’s such a huge thing to take on. Life as she knows it is gone. But hey, she’s marrying the prince of Britain — how exciting for her.”

Fans of “The Crown” can see why Smith would feel that way. His character Prince Philip is often not the Queen’s (Claire Foy) priority. He hadn’t anticipated her taking the throne so quickly, and he often has trouble being in the Queen’s shadow. Expect their marriage to become more strained in Season 2, which premieres Friday on Netflix.

While Markle certainly isn’t throwing herself a pity party or asking people to feel sorry for her, she has made it clear that the public’s constant interest is stressful.

Markle is also an actor, a profession she will retire from as she marries into the royal family. Though she had walked a red carpet and lived life in the public eye before dating Prince Harry, the California native revealed that she had not anticipated such intense scrutiny after their relationship was made public. She admitted to BBC News that she was unprepared for the attention their relationship was received.

“I think also because there was a misconception that because I have worked in the entertainment industry that this would be something I would be familiar with,” Markle said. “But even though I’ve been on my show for I guess six years at that point and working before that I’ve never been part of tabloid culture. I’ve never been in pop culture to that degree and lived relatively quiet life even though I focused so much on my job. So that was a really stark difference out of the gate.”

Prince Harry and Meghan will get married in May. Their wedding will be held at Windsor Castle.